This invention relates to a system end device for recording data related to parachute training, testing, and evaluation, and in particular, to a system and device including motion-based sensors and other equipment capable of monitoring, recording and analyzing 3-axis acceleration, pressure, temperature, 3-axis angular velocity and Global Positioning System (GPS) location.
For air drop operations, both personal and cargo, tracking performance and usage data is necessary for routine maintenance and training, as well as incident investigations. Currently, this data tracking, which is limited to parachute usage and packing frequency, is handled by manually recording usage information in logbooks and used to determine maintenance and repacking schedules. Furthermore, these manually recorded data are prone to human error and are labor intensive. Of course, if parachute systems are left in service too long, this increases the safety risk. For incident investigations, only usage data and eye witness accounts are available. For example, information relating to parachute performance such as the opening shock force, descent rate, etc., can be very valuable especially in instances resulting in a parachute failure, and wherein if injury or a fatality results. Heretofore, there has been no consistent means of data collection whereby parameters such as deployment time, location, altitude, and opening shock force can be made available. If this data collection management system could be automated, it would be more efficient, more accurate and more comprehensive.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide an innovative Parachute Data Recorder (PDR) system. It is also an object of the invention to provide an automatic data recording device whereby both routine performance and usage parameters critical to an accident investigation can be reliably collected upon parachute deployment. Another object of the invention is that the PDR be portable, network ready, sensor rich, and capable of recording and managing data for parachuting applications. It is a further object of the invention that the device for the PDR system is designed as a retro-fit for attachment to personnel and/or cargo being parachuted and have a relatively small, lightweight, and low-power design that would allow for easy integration into existing parachute systems without altering safety characteristics. A further object of the invention that the air drop system's main components, harnessing container should serve as the database key to allow for flexibility between reserve and main parachutes.
A further object of the invention that data recording may be initiated upon parachute deployment by means of stress/strain inducement and capture time, location, altitude, and opening shock. This further object depends on pressure sensing technology that can be used to record altitude, while integration with GPS technology can record both location and provide a real-time stamp for data logging. Additionally, the system may provide an interface to allow the parachute rigger to record packing information including a method to record the parachute rigger's identification (i.e., signature via smart card technology or other electronic means). A further object is that the system could maintain the current state of the art and capture all current logbook information for the life of the parachute system as well as parachute performance data.
Another object of the invention is that the system be compatible with both static line and military free-fall parachute systems and that information for each jump be capable of being broken down into primary and secondary needs. Primary needs represent data collected without significant modifications to the parachute system, which for a static line include: parachute packed by and date and serial number; reserve packed by and date and serial number; jumper identification; aircraft type; date of jump; DZ location; parachute harness type; equipment configuration; jumper weight; and jump master inspection by. Secondary needs represent data collection requiring additional equipment development to be attached to the parachute system or jumper, which for a static line include: opening shock profile; rate of descent profile; and altitude.
The free-fall primary needs include: altitude at exit-user input; altitude at opening-user input; main parachute type and serial number; reserve parachute type and serial number; parachute harness type and serial number; automatic activation device type and serial number; oxygen equipment type and serial number; parachute packed by and date; reserve packed by and date; jumper identification; aircraft type; aircraft speed-user input; date of jump; DZ location; equipment configuration; altimeter type and setting; and jump master inspection by. The secondary needs for free-fall include: altitude at exit-automated; altitude at opening-automated; and measured opening shock.
A further object of the invention is that data can be retrieved via a wired USB interface or wirelessly (WiFi) and can be used using a handheld device with a web-based graphical user interface. It is also an object of the invention that the PDR components of the parachute system, including but not limited to a riser, the parachute canopy, oxygen, altimeter, etc., may be scanned wherein identification numbers associated with each of the parameters could be tracked by the PDR and a software package is provided wherein the database of each component, the jumper, the rigger, etc., may be monitored, recorded, and observed. This allows clear tracking of inventory and uses of the equipment for reliable analysis and life usage calculations. It is a further object of the invention to link the scanned items to a database including factory recall alerts or maintenance action requests to easily identify which equipment has been recalled or is in need of maintenance. An additional object of the invention is that the database include alerts to the rigger when certain components have exceed their design specifications, for instance, such as temperature, excessive shock, or exceeded the maximum number of jumps. It is a further object of the invention that the PDR may be able to incorporate health monitoring features, such as pulse, blood pressure, temperature, etc., which may be maintained in a database to monitor health parameters and identify potential health issues of the jumpers.